You Don't Gain Anything
by citysinger13
Summary: Logan tries to hide an illness from his friends. When will he learn you don't gain anything by lying about how you feel? My contribution to the Semi-Official BTR One-Shot Day!


**So I am sooo busy I almost forgot about this but here it is! My contribution to the Semi-Official BTR one-shot day! I was super excited to be asked to contribute!**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Big Time Rush or any of its characters**

"All right boys, that's good," the photographer hummed as he glanced through the camera. "Carlos, lean a little bit more to the right…a little further." Carlos, leaning a bit too far, almost teetered off the box he was standing on (to make him as tall as Kendall and James) and had to throw an arm around James to keep himself steady.

"That's PERFECT!" the photographer exclaimed. "I love it. Best buds! Hold that and smile!" He started snapping pics as the guys gave their best winning smiles to the camera. After a few seconds and a few million pictures, the photographer tisked and glanced.

"Can we PLEASE get some more bronzer on Logan? He looks like a ghost compared to the rest of them!" The other three guys looked over at Logan, who was also standing on a box (though smaller than Carlos's). He looked about ready to drop. As a makeup artist rushed in with some of the requested bronzer the photographer handed his camera off to an assistant and snapped his fingers for some water from another. "Take a fiver, boys."

"You doing okay, Logan?" James whispered to his friend, who was standing perfectly still as more makeup was applied to his face.

"I'm fine," Logan answered, shrugging ever so slightly. "Why?"

"You look really pale, even for you," Kendall commented. "And you seem exhausted."

"I'm a pale person," Logan answered as the makeup artist finished and went on her way. "And we've been going ever since six this morning. Of course I'm exhausted. I'd be surprised if you _weren't _tired."

The other guys could agree with that. They'd been up since the wee hours of the morning, recording, practicing dance moves, and then this photo shoot that had been going on for hours. Preparations for a huge summer tour were driving everyone crazy.

"All right, well if you need anything…" Carlos said, letting the offer hang in the air.

Logan gave a weak smile. "I'm good. I'm gonna go hit the bathroom before we get back to work."

"Mkay," Kendall said, wandering over to the craft services table. "Hey, grab some water when you get back, you have to keep hydrated."

"Yes, Coach," Logan kidded, walking out of the studio as normally as he could.

As soon as he got to the bathroom, Logan checked to make sure the coast was clear, then leaned against the cool wall and slid down it. Truth was, he felt more exhausted then he ever had in his life. His head pounded, he was so hot he was surprised he hadn't sweat through his shirt yet, and his stomach had been turning over with even the slightest of movements. He'd been hiding coughs all day today and yesterday and had been sneaking away every chance he could to throw up.

In fact he could feel his stomach twisting now. Logan, without time to get up, crawled quickly to the nearest stall and bent over the toilet, puking up what little food he had tried to eat since the last time he had vomited. He had hardly kept anything down all day—all he had in his system was a bunch of water and some fresh fruit that he had tried to choke down. And now that was swimming in the toilet bowl in front of him.

Logan groaned when he was finished retching and sank back on his knees, leaning his head against the stall divider. He had never felt so awful. He wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed at home and sleep for the rest of his life, but he knew that he couldn't do that. The tour was starting in only a week and a half and stuff _had _to get done. He had no _time _to take a sick day.

With a sigh and another groan, Logan heaved himself up from the floor and stumbled over to the mirror. "Oh God," he muttered, looking at his pathetic reflection. Any efforts that makeup artist was making were just futile. Logan's skin was practically translucent under the makeup, and he was already sweating that away. He dabbed at the sweat beads, hoping he could just claim it was hot in the studio. Frankly, it could have been freezing in there, and Logan would have no idea.

A quick glance at his watch sent his heart sinking. The five minutes were definitely up and someone would come looking for him soon. Logan quickly rinsed his mouth with water and headed back out to smile and look charming for the camera.

~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~

"We're back, boys!" the photographer called, retrieving his camera from his assistant and setting up again.

Three of the boys made their way to the backdrop. "Where's Logan?" Carlos hissed just as the photographer shouted the same thing.

"I'm here!" Logan exclaimed, coming through the door. He flashed an apologetic smile at the photographer. "Sorry, bathroom."

"Get to your spot, we have work left to do," the photographer said with a gesture. "We've still got some individuals to shoot after we're done with this pose."

Kendall glanced over at Logan worriedly. The poor guy was sweating. It was a little bit warm in the room but Logan looked like he was dying. "Hey can we turn the air on a little higher?" Kendall requested. He cleared his throat and pulled at his collar, fanning the inside of his shirt. "It's a little hot in here."

The photographer, with a sigh, gestured for an assistant to turn up the air conditioning. Kendall saw Logan relax a little when the cool air hit him, but barely. He could tell something was wrong with Logan, but whatever it was, he was trying to play it off. Logan tended to do that when he didn't feel well. Kendall remembered when Logan had appendicitis in sixth grade—he'd ignored the pains for so long that by the time anyone had found out and taken him to the hospital, his appendix had been only _this _far from bursting.

Kendall sighed and focused on finishing the photo shoot. If Logan wanted to suffer through this, Kendall would have to let him. They were already halfway done with the shoot and then he'd force Logan to take a nap and rest when they got back home that evening.

~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~

"What are we gonna do tonight?" James asked, resting his head on the back of the seat he sat in the back of the limo with his three best friends. "Mama Knight said she was going to make spaghetti, right?"

"Yeah!" Carlos exclaimed, bouncing up and down. Somehow he was still full of energy. "I'm excited! Can we play _Call of Duty_?"

"Sure," James agreed good-naturedly. "Kendall? Logan?"

Kendall cast a glance at Logan. He had gotten, if it was possible, even paler after they'd finished the shoot. His skin was also shining with a layer of sweat and his eyes were squeezed shut as though he were fighting a massive headache away. The other two guys noticed and both glanced to Kendall.

"He's sick," Kendall mouthed. "Follow my lead."

Kendall then yawned loudly. "I think I'm going to go to bed early tonight. I'm exhausted."

James followed with another yawn. "Yeah, me too. Carlos, maybe we can play video games some other night. I think we should all head in to bed early."

"Guys…" Logan muttered in a warning tone. He knew what they were up to—despite his best efforts, they must have figured out he wasn't feeling well. "I'm not an idiot."

"You are if you don't go to bed when we get home," Kendall told him, dropping the tired act. "You don't feel well, and you're going to get some rest."

"I feel fine," Logan insisted, but as he spoke he was overcome by some coughing. He tried his best to cover them up, but the damage was done. Kendall placed a hand on Logan's back worriedly as Logan tried to hack up a lung while James and Carlos looked on with concern.

When he was finished, he looked up guiltily. James met his eyes first, looking worried but stern. "Yup, you're going straight to bed," James informed him as the limo came to a stop in front of the Palm Woods.

Logan slumped back in his seat. "Fine. You guys suck."

"No, we want you to feel better, Logan," Carlos told him. "What if you have the flu or something?"

Logan's heart raced. His amateur doctor training had immediately diagnosed what he had as the flu, but he'd been hoping and praying he was wrong. "No," he immediately denied. "I'm sure it's just a 24-hour bug. I'll be fine tomorrow morning."

By the time they got up to the apartment, Logan felt his stomach turning again. He was regretting the bottled iced tea he'd tried to drink. He'd thought it would settle his stomach. He was wrong.

"Hi boys!" Mama Knight called from the kitchen as the boys came in. Logan immediately pushed past his friends and speed-walked to the bathroom. He threw himself at the toilet and proceeded to dry heave painfully.

Kendall raced into the bathroom only a second behind Logan. He stood behind him as the poor kid heaved and heaved with nothing coming out. Finally, he stopped. "You all right, Logan?" Kendall asked tentatively.

Logan stood shakily and turned to face Kendall with a shake of his head. "I'm just dry heaving, nothing's coming out-." Logan suddenly spun around and threw up all of his iced tea that he had drunk into the toilet.

Once he seemed to be finished, Kendall swallowed nervously. "Well, that was ironic," he joked. Logan only answered with a sarcastic laugh. Kendall took Logan by the upper arm gently and guided him out of the bathroom to their shared bedroom. He grabbed a pair of Logan's pajama pants and a clean, plain white t-shirts from Logan's drawers and threw them on the bed where Logan was sitting. "Get changed. I'll be back in a minute."

Kendall went out to the living room. Mama Knight was serving spaghetti to James and Carlos at the dining room table, but they all looked up when Kendall came into the room. "How is he?" James asked.

"He threw up," Kendall replied grimly. James, with his inherent fear of vomit, shuddered. Mama Knight looked sympathetic.

"Poor dear," she murmured. "I'll fix him some crackers and ginger ale."

"I got it, Mama," Kendall insisted, already at the cabinet assembling a tray of necessary items. Mama Knight only hesitated a moment before nodding and finishing her serving before sitting at the table herself.

Kendall got everything he needed and started back to his and Logan's room. "Be sure to come eat your food in a little while," his mother called after him. Kendall gave a confirming jerk of the head to show he heard her and then slipped into the bedroom.

Logan had changed into the pajamas that Kendall had laid out for him and was lying on top of the covers on his side, his legs curled up to his chest and his arms wrapped around them. Kendall set down the tray on the bedside table and sat on the edge of the bed next to Logan. "Here, buddy, time to feel better."

"Go away," Logan mumbled, shifting his head to face it into the pillow. "I'm asleep."

"Open up," Kendall replied, holding out a thermometer. Logan shot him a dirty look before opening his mouth obediently. Kendall stuck the thermometer under Logan's tongue and then waited the minute it took it to beep. When he read the numbers he grimaced and shook his head. "100.9, buddy. You need to get some sleep."

"Mm," was all Logan mumbled in response. Kendall held up a bottle of pills and considered.

"Do you think you're going to throw up again?" he asked Logan.

"I hope not," Logan muttered.

Kendall sighed. "Here, take these pills. They'll help your fever and headache."

"I don't have a headache," Logan lied, averting his eyes.

"Liar," Kendall scolded. "Lying won't help you get better." He held out two pills in the palm of his hand and a bottle of room temperature water.

Logan scowled, but took them anyway. After he had swallowed the pills (somewhat painfully), Kendall convinced Logan to climb under the covers, despite the sick boy's protestations that it was too hot. "You've got to keep warm," Kendall told him.

"Fine," Logan scowled as he tried to find a cool spot on his pillow to rest his head.

"If you feel sick at all, let me know, okay?" Kendall heard a grunt of confirmation before he smiled and left.

~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~

The next morning, Kendall woke to find that Logan wasn't in his bed. He checked the bathroom in a panicked worry, but didn't find Logan in there. He wandered out to the kitchen slowly, the smell of breakfast cooking attracting him. There he found Logan, looking still pale but acting so happy and like himself that Kendall was astounded.

"Hey, Logan!" he greeted, surprised.

"Hey Kendall," Logan said with a smile. "I made eggs before our big dance rehearsal today. Want some?"

"Yes please," Kendall answered, practically salivating as he grabbed a plate from the cabinet. "You're feeling better, then?"

"Much," Logan told him. When Kendall sat at the table and tucked in to his eggs, Logan sighed and rubbed his temple as surreptitiously as he could. The honest truth was he still felt really awful—he'd thrown up already that morning, and his head still hurt like nothing else, but he had to make it through today. They were going through all the dance numbers they'd learned this week and then they might be moving on to something else. He couldn't hold the others back because he wasn't feeling well.

~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~

"All right, dogs, take it from the top of the number!" Gustavo shouted, as the four members of BTR stood sweating and panting before him. "And this time, don't completely _suck_!"

The four guys, grimaces twisting on their faces, took their places for the beginning of the number. They were only rehearsing dancing and not fully doing vocals, just sort of saying words, so Kelly pressed play on the CD player on the table at the front of the room.

The beginning the guys were just standing there with their backs facing the audience as they sang the intro. So while the guys stood, muttering counts under their breath and mumbling the lyrics, Kendall glanced over at Logan. He had caught on that Logan was still feeling bad only a few minutes into the rehearsal. They'd only been going for about an hour and already Logan looked like he'd been going nonstop for a week. His skin was translucent again and he was sweatier than any of the rest of the guys.

Kendall had to stop looking when it came time for the boys to turn and sidestep during Carlos's beginning verse. He could only pray that Logan was maybe taking it easy…

But no, Logan was giving the number everything he had. Even though he was gasping and seeing some spots in his vision, he was desperately trying not to hold the other guys back and get them yelled at for his screw ups.

"_Cause I've been feelin down, down, down,"_ was Logan's part. He felt his body drooping down. "_I need a pick me up round, round, round…" _ The room was spinning round…round…round…

"Logan!" Kendall exclaimed as the boy wobbled and fell to his knees, catching himself just barely with his hands. The music stopped abruptly as Kelly hit pause frantically and the other guys fell down to their knees beside Logan.

"Logan are you all right?"

"What's wrong?"

"Logan? _Logan!_"

"I…" Logan tried to answer but felt something else coming up. Someone who had been thinking fast (Kelly) shoved the little trash can under his face and he gratefully hurled up his breakfast into it.

When he was done everyone was still asking him if he was okay. He tried to push them off, saying he was fine, tried to stand, but only found everything turning black before he lost all consciousness.

~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~BTR~~~~~~

When Logan woke, he was in a nondescript, white room which he immediately recognized as a hospital room. The first thing he noticed was that, while he still felt bad, he no longer felt as terrible as he had before. Then he noticed his three friends quietly talking in a haphazard assembly of waiting room chairs that had been assembled at his bedside.

"Guys?" Logan tried to croak out, but found his voice severely diminished. It did the trick though. All the guys jumped up and raced to Logan's side.

"Logan!" Carlos exclaimed happily.

"Dude, don't ever do something like that again, you hear?" James scolded him.

"What happened?" Logan asked.

"You fainted, Logan," Kendall explained. "And Gustavo freaked, called an ambulance, which brought you here. The doctors say you have the flu—and that by pushing yourself too hard you really over exhausted yourself."

"And you were dehydrated, because you couldn't keep anything down, so the dancing really messed you up," James threw in.

"Why didn't you say you were still feeling bad?" Kendall asked, sounding almost angry. "You shouldn't have done this. You could have gotten really messed up."

"I know," Logan admitted guiltily. "I'm sorry. I just…this tour means so much to us…to all of us! I didn't want to hold any of us back by trying to take a sick day. I didn't want…you guys to resent me for it I guess."

Carlos hopped up on the bed next to Logan. "Logie, we would _never _resent you. Everyone gets sick."

"That's right," James agreed, taking a spot on the bed too. "We all have our low points. That's when we need our friends to _be _there for us."

"But," Kendall added, walking to the other side of the bed and sitting next to Logan there. "We can't be there unless you let us. You don't gain anything by holding this back. Got that?"

Logan smiled weakly. "Yeah, I got it." The four best friends all had a big group hug. Then Logan spoke. "So when can I get out of here to head back to rehearsal?"

The other guys gave him an evil look and Logan just laughed. "I'm just kidding."

The guys all smiled and laughed too.

**I'm so sorry this is so late at night. I got in trouble for writing at rehearsal, then my friends were making fun of me when I was writing after rehearsal and it just didn't get done until just now. I really hope you enjoyed it, I really enjoyed writing it. Thanks!**


End file.
